Limp Bizkit sues label Universal Music over unpaid royalties
By Blake Brittain
Oct 8 (Reuters) -Rap-rock band Limp Bizkit sued its label Universal Music Group UMG.AS in California federal court on Tuesday, claiming the group is owed at least $200 million in unpaid royalties.
The lawsuit, brought by lead singer Fred Durst, said that UMG withheld millions in royalties owed to the band following a recent resurgence in popularity. It said UMG uses royalty payment software that is "deliberately designed to conceal artists' royalties."
Limp Bizkit attorney Mark Fabiani declined to comment on the complaint. Spokespeople for UMG did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Limp Bizkit peaked in popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s, topping the Billboard charts with its albums "Significant Other" and "Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water." According to the lawsuit, interest in the band has regrown recently and its songs have accumulated more than 450 million streams on Spotify so far this year.
"Despite this tremendous 'come back,' the band had still not been paid a single cent by UMG in any royalties until taking action," the complaint said. The lawsuit said that Durst had never received any Limp Bizkit royalties as of this April, even as UMG increased its payments to other Limp Bizkit rightsholders following the band's newfound popularity.
"According to UMG’s royalty statements, Plaintiffs’ accounts had been payable starting in 2019, and then fraudulently reclassified as 'unrecouped' to prevent payment," the lawsuit said. The band said that UMG may have used similar tactics to avoid paying hundreds of other label artists for years.
Limp Bizkit said in the complaint that its damages from UMG's alleged scheme could "easily exceed $200 million."
Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington
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